Advertising: Television

Lord Dykes: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What discussions they have held with consumer protection groups about child viewing of inappropriate television advertisements.

Lord Davies of Oldham: DCMS Ministers have held no discussions with consumer groups on this issue.
	The Communications Act 2003 gives Ofcom the statutory responsibility for the regulation of broadcast advertising. Under this system, all commercial broadcasters are subject to strict statutory standards codes which contain specific rules to prevent harm to children.
	In addition, the Government recently announced as part of their Children's Plan that they will commission a new independent assessment of evidence relating to the impact on children of their changing commercial environment. Furthermore, the Government recently accepted all the recommendations from the Byron review, including the need to oversee work by the advertising industry on future-proofing regulation for digital media and ensuring that video games are advertised appropriately to children.

Africa: Railways

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they plan to support the building of new railways across Africa; and, if so, how.

Baroness Crawley: The UK Government recognise the important contribution that railways make in promoting trade and connecting countries and communities.
	Railway construction requires the combined efforts of different development partners, particularly the multilateral development banks and the private sector. DfID grant funds are best used to promote the preparation of these projects and facilitate investment by others.
	DfID is the largest donor to the Infrastructure Project Preparation Facility which is hosted by the African Development Bank to prepare regional infrastructure projects. DfID also supports a number of multi-donor initiatives that aim to facilitate private sector investment in infrastructure such as the Public-Private Infrastructure Advisory Facility to which the UK is the largest donor.
	The Infrastructure Consortium for Africa (ICA) was launched after the 2005 G8 Gleneagles summit to promote increased infrastructure investment in Africa. The UK continues to lead in supporting the work of the ICA.

Africa: Wind-up Radios

Lord Dykes: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they intend to provide greater support for the provision of wind-up radios in Africa.

Baroness Crawley: The Department for International Development (DfID) does not directly support the provision of wind-up radios in Africa, nor is it likely that we will do so in the near future. Our support to radio in Africa continues to be in supporting national, regional and community radio stations to deliver quality programmes that are relevant to poor people's lives. We have also supported projects which aim to promote supportive regulatory environments for radio in Africa.

Armed Forces: Casualties

Lord Burnett: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many members of the Armed Forces were wounded on active service in each year from 1997 to 2007 inclusive.

Baroness Taylor of Bolton: The number of service personnel categorised as very seriously injured or seriously injured whilst deployed on operations in Iraq, Afghanistan and the Balkans between 2001 and 2007 is shown in the following table:
	
		
			 Operation Total 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 
			 Iraq 212 - - 46 45 20 32 69 
			 Afghanistan 104 0 1 1 6 2 31 63 
			 The Balkans 17 6 2 3 2 0 2 2 
			 Total 333 6 3 50 53 22 65 134 
		
	
	This information can be found on the Ministry of Defence's website at:
	www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/AboutDefence/CorporatePublications/DoctrineOperationsand DiplomacyPublications/OperationsinTheBalkans/TheBalkanCasualtyTable.htm.
	www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/AboutDefence/CorporatePublications/DoctrineOperationsand DiplomacyPublications/OperationsInIraq/OpTelic CasualtyAndFatalityTables.htm.
	www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/AboutDefence/CorporatePublications/DoctrineOperationsand DiplomacyPublications/OperationsInAfghanistan/OpHerrickCasualtyAndFatalityTables.htm.
	Records for other operational theatres and those for years prior to 2001 are not held centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Bees

The Countess of Mar: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they have assessed the non-financial costs to the environment of the total or partial loss of the honey bee population in the United Kingdom.

Lord Rooker: Pollination contributes to propagation of biodiversity and the functioning of ecosystems and it is recognised as a key ecosystem service that is threatened globally. Although there are other pollinators, many flowers have evolved completely dependent on pollination by bees. There are also complex interactions between managed honey bees and wild pollinators; there have been concerns about removing managed bees from nature reserves because of their impact on wild pollinators. A European Union 6th Framework Project, "Alarm", which includes several UK participants, has been running since 2004 and is due to complete in 2009. It focuses on ecosystem services and the relationship between society, economy and biodiversity; it will include an assessment of risks associated with loss of pollinators.

Canada: Seal Hunting

Lord Dykes: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	When they next expect to meet Canadian representatives to discuss seal hunting; and whether they will press the Government of Canada to outlaw the practice.

Lord Malloch-Brown: My honourable friend the Minister for Marine, Landscape and Rural Affairs, Jonathan Shaw, wrote to the Canadian High Commissioner on 22 April this year agreeing to a meeting once the EU-commissioned report on the impact of any regulatory or other EU-wide measures in response to seal hunting has been published.
	The Canadian Government are fully aware of the Government's opposition to the seal hunt.

Care Services: South Shields

Lord Campbell-Savours: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	On what dates since 2001 was the provision by Bamburgh Court Care Centre in South Shields (a) of elderly care, and (b) for dementia, separately inspected by the Commission for Social Care Inspection and other inspection authorities.

Lord Darzi of Denham: We have been informed by the Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI) that it only has information from 1 April 2002, when its predecessor, the National Care Standards Commission (NCSC) took on the responsibility of regulating social care provision. Inspections of the service, which is now called St Michael's View, prior to 1 April 2002 were the responsibility of South Tyneside local authority.
	Since 1 April 2002, the NCSC and CSCI have inspected the service on:
	23 July 2002;
	13 February 2003;
	19 August 2003;
	26 February 2004;
	28 July 2004;
	20 January 2005;
	19 May 2005;
	15 September 2005;
	16 June 2006; and
	31 July 2007.

Common Agricultural Policy

Lord Dykes: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether the European Commission's forthcoming review of the Common Agricultural Policy will include plans to create a single sustainable land management framework.

Lord Rooker: The European Commission's legislative proposals for the CAP health check reforms are due to be published on 20 May. They have indicated that this will not be a radical reform, but an adjustment to improve existing CAP mechanisms. We do not expect this to include a significant shift in relation to land management.

Computer Systems: DfID

Lord Harris of Haringey: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	In respect of the Department for International Development, on how many occasions in the last year malicious programs have compromised its computer systems; for each occasion, how many machines were affected; how long it took to remove the programs from the system; and what the impact was on the department's activities.

Baroness Crawley: It is not in the interests of the UK's national security for departments to confirm whether they hold information about attacks against their IT systems. This would enable individuals to deduce how successful the UK is in detecting these attacks and so assist such persons in testing the effectiveness of the UK's IT defences. This is not in the public interest.

e-Borders

Baroness Hanham: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they will set out the complete timetable for use of "all available passenger data" within the e-Borders programme including (a) Travel Document Information, (b) Other Passenger Information, and (c) Authority to Carry data.

Lord West of Spithead: e-Borders is currently in receipt of and processing 30 million (annualised) electronic records of travel document information (TDI) for international passengers and crew entering and leaving the UK. The receipt and processing of TDI data for 100 per cent of passenger international and crew movements will be achieved by March 2014.
	The e-Borders system already collects and uses a small sample of other passenger information (OPI) which it has used to de-risk the main programme.
	From summer 2009 we will begin the incremental capture of other passenger information and by December 2013 the e-Borders solution will allow the receipt and processing of 100 million targeted/selected OPI passenger movements.
	The authority to carry capability will be available from October 2008, with a manual response process to inform carriers. A fully automated response to carriers is a future service under the e-Borders contract.

Embryology

Lord Alton of Liverpool: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answers by Lord Darzi of Denham on 21 April (WA 233), which field studies support the conclusion, attributed in press reports to a Department of Health spokesperson, that scientifically nothing happens if an animal is inseminated with human sperm; and what the benefits are of mixing human and animal gametes where the resulting embryos are intended to develop beyond the two-cell stage.

Lord Darzi of Denham: There is no published evidence which suggests that any insemination of an animal with human sperm, whether as part of a scientific study or not, has resulted in a pregnancy.
	There are biological mechanisms in place that prevent cross-species fertilisation. For a sperm to fertilise an egg there has to be compatibility between proteins present on the sperm and on either the zona pellucida (the shell surrounding the egg) or on the membrane of the egg itself, or both. It is for this reason that the hamster egg fertility test requires the zona to be removed first, before human sperm are added, otherwise the sperm will never penetrate the zona. Humans also have a different number of chromosomes to any other species of animal and are significantly more advanced as a species, making the chances of successful embryonic development low.
	The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill provides for the creation of true hybrids for research to allow scope for potential developments in embryological research techniques which require the use of animal eggs or sperm, thereby future-proofing in this fast-moving field. The Bill provides consistency with the creation of true hybrids being permitted under the 1990 Act for the testing of human sperm fertility or normality using hamster eggs.
	Any licence application to create a "true hybrid" for research will need to prove that its use is necessary. No true hybrid embryo created may be implanted into a woman or an animal, and may not be cultured for more than 14 days or after the appearance of the primitive streak.

Embryology

Lord Alton of Liverpool: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many funding applications to the research councils are known to have been declined after a peer reviewer indicated that the proposed work did not include the use of human embryonic stem cells, rather than those of other species or human stem cells from other sources.

Baroness Morgan of Drefelin: Applications to the research councils involving stem cells are assessed on the basis of approach, taking into account the methods, tools and resources needed to answer the question(s) posed. While this is likely to include an assessment of the most appropriate source of stem cells for the research proposed, unless there were a particular ethical concern, applications would not be awarded or declined solely on this basis. The Medical Research Council (MRC), Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) and Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), the three councils that receive applications of this type, do not routinely compile data on unsuccessful applications relating to the type of stem cells proposed.

Food

Lord Dykes: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they plan to hold discussions with the Food Standards Agency and the Food and Drink Federation to ensure full co-ordination in food emergencies and contamination cases.

Lord Darzi of Denham: Her Majesty's Government take the issue of food emergencies and contamination cases very seriously. There is full co-ordination between government departments, including the Food Standards Agency, with the aim of preventing such events as well as having in place comprehensive procedures to respond to any such cases. These procedures include collaboration and co-ordination with all relevant parties including the Food and Drink Federation.

Health: Branded Generic Medicines

Earl Howe: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What estimate has been made of the amount of potential annual savings that the National Health Service would achieve from the sale of branded generic medicines priced below the drug tariff price.

Lord Darzi of Denham: In its market study report The Pharmaceutical Price Regulation Scheme. An Office of Fair Trading Market Study on the pharmaceutical price regulation scheme published in February 2007, the Office of Fair Trading concluded that there are no potential savings from the sale of branded medicines priced below the drug tariff price and that, in aggregate, these sales result in higher costs than otherwise would be the case.

Health: Clinical Trials

Lord Dykes: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they will ensure that the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence allows full access to its information on clinical trials and new health techniques.

Lord Darzi of Denham: When the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) publishes its technology appraisal guidance on new drugs and other interventions, it also publishes on its website the full supporting evidence that was put before the appraisal committee in reaching its conclusions. This will include any information on clinical trial evidence submitted by a manufacturer or derived from other research. NICE may occasionally be asked by a drugs manufacturer to withhold some specific information on the grounds of commercial confidentiality, but every effort is made to keep this to a minimum.

Health: Organophosphates

The Countess of Mar: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by Lord Darzi of Denham on 12 May (HL3419), what research has been conducted on the chronic effects of exposure to diazinon on the brain, heart, lungs, liver and kidneys of humans.

Lord Darzi of Denham: The Government are not aware of any research that involved deliberate controlled chronic exposure of humans to diazinon.

Health: Osteopathy

Lord Dykes: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether the establishment of the Forum for Osteopathic Regulation in Europe will improve treatment standards for patients outside their own member state.

Lord Darzi of Denham: The department welcomes the establishment of the forum. We hope that better collaboration between national registers in osteopathy across Europe will help to raise standards across all participating member states.

Health: Single-sex Wards

Lord Dixon: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by Baroness Thornton on 21 April (WA 245), what guidance has been issued since 1997 to NHS Trusts on the provision of single-sex accommodation in new hospitals; and how they can implement their policy to provide single-sex accommodation in the absence of figures being kept centrally.

Lord Darzi of Denham: Since 1997, the department has issued a number of documents relating to the elimination of mixed-sex accommodation and these are set out below. While these do not relate solely to new build, they do make our expectations clear with regard to segregation.
	Specific guidance relating to new build has focused on the provision of single rooms. Since 2001, the department's guidance is that the proportion of single rooms in new hospital developments should aim to be 50 per cent but should not fall below 20 per cent and must be higher than the facilities they are replacing. Each trust makes an informed choice regarding the appropriate percentage of single room provision based on practical considerations such as site restrictions and affordability as well as clinical and operational limitations.
	While information about the number of hospitals that have single-sex wards is not collected centrally, progress in respect of privacy and dignity is measured through a range of indicators as follows. This includes some information about mixed-sex accommodation:
	the Healthcare Commission monitors two relevant national standards via the annual health check assessments. The standards are: healthcare organisations have systems in place to ensure that staff treat patients, their relatives and carers with dignity and respect; and healthcare services are provided in environments which promote effective care and optimise health outcomes by being supportive of patient privacy and confidentiality; under arrangements of the National Patient Safety Agency, Patient Environment Teams (PEAT) undertake assessment of aspects of privacy and dignity; and the annual national in-patient survey, undertaken by the Healthcare Commission, contains a question on whether patients shared their sleeping area with members of the opposite sex.
	Furthermore, this year's operating framework—The NHS in England: The Operating Framework for 2008-09—requires primary care trusts to set and publish challenging local plans for improvement in respect of single-sex accommodation. The plans will be made public.
	Published guidance comprises:
	EL97 (43): The Patient's Charter: Privacy and Dignity and the Provision of Single-sex Hospital Accommodation.Health Building Note 04-01 In-patient Accommodation: Options for Choice, published 1997. HSC 1998/143: Mixed-sex hospital accommodation monitoring tool.Safety, Privacy and Dignity in Mental Health Units: Guidance on Mixed-Sex Accommodation for Mental Health Services. Published by the NHS Executive 2000.Healthcare Capital Investment, supplement to Quarterly Briefing, Volume 12 No 1 2002-03.Privacy and Dignity—A Report by the Chief Nursing Officer into Mixed-Sex Accommodation in Hospitals. Published 2007.Privacy and Dignity. The Elimination of Mixed-Sex Accommodation. Good Practice Guidance and Self Assessment Checklist. Published by the NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement, 2007.The NHS in England: The Operating Framework for 2007-08; The NHS in England: The Operating Framework for 2008-09.

Health: Training

Baroness Tonge: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether, in the light of the poll in January by the Nursing Times indicating that 52 per cent of nurses feel they do not receive adequate access to post-registration training, they will review the amount of training provided to nurses.

Lord Darzi of Denham: Post-registration training needs for National Health Service staff are decided against local National Health Service priorities, through appraisal processes and training needs analyses informed by local delivery plans and the needs of the service.
	Access to training is affected by a number of factors such as the availability of funding, whether staff can be released, and the availability of appropriate training interventions, mentors and assessors. It would not be practical for the centre to be prescriptive on this.

House of Lords: Envelopes

Lord Tyler: asked the Chairman of Committees:
	What is the estimated additional cost of providing pre-franked window envelopes for use by Members of the House.

Lord Brabazon of Tara: The additional cost of providing pre-franked windowed envelopes for use by Members in comparison to pre-franked plain envelopes would depend on the size and quantity of the envelopes ordered. The current cost of pre-franked windowed envelopes and pre-franked plain envelopes (based on a minimum order of 5,000 envelopes) for the three main lines of envelopes provided is as follows:
	
		
			 Envelope size Plain envelopes Windowed envelopes Cost difference 
			 110 x 220 mm £841 £1245 £404 
			 229 x 162 mm £290 £300 £10 
			 324 x 229 mm £321 £331 £10

Immigration: Failed Asylum Seekers

Lord Lester of Herne Hill: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by Lord West of Spithead on 12 May (HL3321), what are the legal and administrative safeguards to protect failed asylum seekers from being detained unnecessarily.

Lord West of Spithead: Immigration detention is authorised under the statutory powers contained in Schedules 2 and 2 to the Immigration Act 1971, and Section 62 of the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002.
	In line with the Government's stated policy on the use of these powers, persons may be detained in the following circumstances: initially, while their identity and basis of claim are being established; where there is reason to believe that a person will fail to comply with the conditions attached to the grant of temporary admission or release; as part of a fast-track asylum process; or to effect removal.
	Detention is not arbitrary. Each case is considered on its individual merits and all factors arguing for and against detention are weighed carefully before a decision to detain is made. The decision to detain is authorised at specified levels within the UK Border Agency depending on the nature of the case concerned and is kept under review on a regular basis at successively higher levels within the agency to ensure that persons only remain in detention where this continues to be justified.

Immigration: Indefinite Leave to Remain

Lord Thomas of Gresford: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Why the Home Department no longer aims to make a decision on an application for indefinite leave to remain in the United Kingdom within 13 weeks of the filing of the application and payment of the fee; and what the current aim of the department is for the consideration and resolution of such an application.

Lord West of Spithead: The Home Office service standard for making decisions on applications for indefinite leave to remain are published on the UK Borders Agency web site as follows:
	decide 70 per cent of postal applications within 20 working days;decide 90 per cent of postal applications within 70 working days; anddecide 98 per cent of applications made in person at a public enquiry office within 24 hours.
	These standards were in place throughout the financial year 2007-08 and there are no plans to change these for 2008-09.

Indonesia: Ahmadiyya Muslims

Lord Avebury: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they and the European Union will make representations to the Government of Indonesia about the treatment of the Ahmadiyya Muslims.

Lord Malloch-Brown: We are aware that the Indonesian Government are currently considering a recommendation from a governmental advisory body that a ban should be imposed on Ahmadiyya. Anti-Ahmadiyya demonstrations have taken place in different parts of Indonesia, and several mosques have been damaged.
	Our ambassador in Jakarta raised UK concerns about the possible ban with the Indonesian authorities on 28 April 2008. Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials in London have also met with representatives from the UK Ahmadiyya Association to hear their concerns. At the UN Human Rights Council examination of Indonesia under the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva on 9 April, the UK raised concerns about the treatment of the Ahmadiyya community. We are also discussing the issue with our EU partners.
	We will continue to monitor the situation closely and look for opportunities to raise the issue of respect for religious freedom with the Indonesian authorities.

Iraq and Iran: Territorial Waters

Lord Astor of Hever: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether any steps were taken to define and announce any exclusion zone or line of blockade or similar maritime boundary in relation to Iraqi waters in the North Arabian Gulf.

Lord Malloch-Brown: There is no naval blockade of Iraqi territorial waters. An exclusion zone has been established around two Iraqi oil platforms, situated in Iraq's territorial waters. Within these, the right of innocent passage is suspended. This has been formally promulgated by a notice to mariners. The Government of Iraq are negotiating with Kuwait and Iran to agree maritime boundaries.

Iraq: Sewage

Baroness Northover: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What action they have taken following the reports by the Baghdad security plan on the operability of Baghdad's sewage plants.

Baroness Crawley: We are unaware of any official reports having been made on the operability of Baghdad's sewage plants as a result of the Baghdad security plan. However, we are aware that a spokesman for the Government of Iraq has stated that, as at 3 February this year, none of the city's three sewage plants was operating at capacity. These problems were directly attributed to the neglect with which Saddam Hussein's regime treated the maintenance of Iraq's infrastructure.
	The Joint Reconstruction Operation Centre, responsible for co-ordinating and synchronising reconstruction efforts in Baghdad, announced on 2 March that in the past year 80 per cent of the city's water distribution system and 60 per cent of the sewerage system had undergone reconstruction, as a result of co-operation between the Government of Iraq and coalition forces. Work is also continuing on extending the capacity of these systems. The US Army Corps of Engineers reports that a $2.3 million upgrade to sewer lines and water pumping stations in one of Baghdad's suburbs, which will help prevent health hazards to more than 115,000 area residents, is due to be completed in June, and that it is undertaking many other projects to improve Baghdad's infrastructure.
	The UK Government are not currently involved in any work to improve Baghdad's sewage system. However, by May of this year the Department for International Development will have improved access to water for more than 1 million people in southern Iraq, by: undertaking infrastructure repair projects; providing training facilities for Iraqi engineers; and by providing technical advice for a major sewage installation in al-Amarah, replacing open sewage channels and providing up to half of the city's population with access to a piped sewage system.

Israel and Palestine: Gaza

Lord Hylton: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they have assessed the risks to public health in Gaza from restrictions on electricity supply to hospitals and from infected water supplies and defective sewage systems; and if so, what representations they are making to the relevant authorities.

Baroness Crawley: The Department for International Development (DfID) has been monitoring the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip closely. Assessments show that it is extremely serious and that there are significant risks to public health.
	Due to fuel shortages, 60 million litres of raw and partially treated sewage flow into the Mediterranean each day and 90 per cent of mains water is polluted. Hospitals have between one and five days of fuel supply remaining. Electricity cuts and low supplies of fuel for generators mean that hospitals are at risk of being unable to keep essential equipment running such as refrigeration for vaccines.
	Palestinian militants' actions are aggravating the humanitarian situation—we condemn these actions. This leads to more misery for the people of Gaza. The violence needs to stop and basic humanitarian supplies, including fuel, should be allowed in and properly distributed to those in need. We have urged the Government of Israel at all levels, to ensure that, in line with their own public commitments, their actions do not result in a humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

Israel and Palestine: Gaza Sewage

Baroness Tonge: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What assistance they are providing towards the construction of a fully functioning sewage treatment plant in Gaza.

Baroness Crawley: Sewage systems in Gaza have been severely affected by the Israeli restrictions placed on fuel and electricity supplies as well as construction supplies such as cement. Due to fuel shortages, 60 million litres of raw and partially treated sewage flow into the Mediterranean each day. We continue to raise our concerns about access restrictions to Gaza with the Israeli Government, in public and in private.
	Several donors and agencies are involved in efforts to construct sewage plants in Gaza. The office of the quartet headed by Mr Blair, the quartet representative, (who was appointed by US, UN, EU and Russia), is working closely with the World Bank and the Government of Israel on ensuring key construction supplies can enter Gaza for the North Gaza Sewage Plant and to facilitate stalled sewage projects in central Gaza.
	The UK Government support the work of Mr Blair and have seconded four staff to his team. The Foreign Secretary regularly meets with Mr Blair to express our support for his work, most recently on 1 May before the Ad Hoc Liaison Committee meeting in London on 2 May.

Israel and Palestine: Projects

Baroness Tonge: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What discussions they have had with the European Union concerning impact assessments for the Nablus and Ramallah housing projects, separate roads for settlers and Palestinians, and projects to facilitate tourist access to Bethlehem.

Baroness Crawley: The UK Government remain in close contact with the European Commission and European Union members on support to the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs) and the Middle East Peace Process (MEPP). Most recently, we discussed these issues with the EU at the Ad Hoc Liaison Committee meeting in London on 2 May. This brought together senior representatives from across the international community to discuss how to support the Palestinian Authority and its economy.
	Improving the economic prospects of the Palestinian people is a high priority for our work in the region. The housing and tourism projects are being promoted by the quartet representative, Tony Blair, who is working with the parties to develop plans to promote Palestinian economic development. We are following the development of these projects closely and are in regular contact with Mr Blair and his team.
	The UK Government urge both parties to comply with their road map commitments, including Israel's obligations on settlements and outposts.

Israel and Palestine: Projects

Baroness Tonge: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What discussions they have had with the Government of Israel and Palestinian representatives to ensure that projects the United Kingdom supports do not further the development of Israeli settlements or increase the dependency of the Palestinians on Israel.

Baroness Crawley: Through regular discussion with the Palestinian Authority we ensure that UK aid is closely linked with the priorities of the Palestinian Authority (PA). We have aligned our direct financial assistance behind the Palestinian Reform and Development Plan (PRDP) to strengthen Palestinian institutions and to provide basic services. Once there is a negotiated two-state solution leading to a viable Palestinian state, the need for international aid should diminish. In the mean time, aid is playing a vital role.
	The UK Government consider that Israeli settlement building anywhere in the Occupied Palestinian Territories is illegal under international law. This includes settlements in both East Jerusalem and the West Bank. We continue to raise our concerns on continuing settlement activity with the Israeli Government at all levels.

Law Commission

The Earl of Dundee: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath on 21 April (WA 266), what responsibilities the Law Commission has for identifying obsolete secondary legislation.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: The Law Commission has a statutory duty to keep the whole of the law of England and Wales under review with a view to its systematic development and reform. This includes the repeal of obsolete and unnecessary legislation, including secondary legislation. However, the Commission must prioritise the allocation of its resources. It focuses its limited resources in this area of work on the repeal of obsolete primary legislation. This indirectly repeals obsolete secondary legislation because statutory instruments lapse when their enabling power is repealed.
	It is good practice for each department to keep under review the existing body of secondary legislation for which that department is responsible.

Natural Environment Research Council

Lord Dykes: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What action they are taking to ensure the Natural Environment Research Council study programmes adopt a Europe-wide approach in light of increases in European Union research and development allocations.

Baroness Morgan of Drefelin: The Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) supports UK research involving joint working at national, European and international levels. The council already directly supports Europe-wide scientific collaboration, for example by participating in European Union (EU) Framework Programme schemes, and European Space Agency missions. This helps to ensure that the UK research and training community has a European outlook and European connections in most aspects of environmental science.
	NERC's centres already work closely with European researchers, and NERC enables researchers it funds, including students, to spend time in European research organisations. In addition, some scientists from other EU countries receive NERC funding to carry out research projects in UK institutions. The international team at NERC's head office plays a key role in seeking and promoting collaborative opportunities, and NERC also supports the UK Research Office (UKRO) in Brussels.

Palestine: Financial Assistance

Lord Hylton: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by Baroness Crawley on 14 March (WA 262), how they anticipate that the £23.15 million still available in 2007—08 for assistance to Palestinians will be spent; and whether it will be carried forward into the following years if unspent.

Baroness Crawley: The Department for International Development (DfID) has fully spent its budget of £41.6 million for the Palestinian people in 2007-08—as reported to Baroness Crawley on 14 March 2008. This includes £15.6 million provided to the United Nations Relief Works Agency (UNRWA), £18.45 million through the Temporary International Mechanism (TIM), £3 million for private sector arrears, £2.55 million in capacity-building support to the Palestinian National Authority (PNA), £1 million in support to the Palestinian Civil Police and £1 million to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).
	DfID provided an additional £32 million in March 2008, which increases DfID's total support to the Palestinian people in 2007-08 to £63.6 million. This includes £10 million to the TIM (included in the figures above), £20 million for the PNA's budget through the new World Bank trust fund and a further £2 million to the ICRC.

Passports: Interviews

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	When they expect to introduce special facilities in remote areas for passport personal interviews.

Lord West of Spithead: The Identity and Passport Service (IPS) in partnership with local authorities is currently testing a secure, video-conference system to ensure it meets both customer and business requirement. The initial phase of customer experience testing was conducted at the beginning of the 2008 and was positively received with minor recommendations informing the final service design. Owing to the small volumes of customers eligible for the service and so as to generate significant volumes against which to verify the solution, testing is likely to continue until the end of July 2008. Thereafter, it is anticipated the Remote Communities Service will be rolled out to 26 video interview offices during the summer of 2008.
	Consultations with local authorities and other government departments are ongoing in an effort to further improve the service through provision of additional office locations.

Pregnancy

Lord Dykes: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What steps they will take to provide all low-income mothers with the application form for inclusion in the Healthy Start baby nutrition scheme during pregnancy.

Lord Darzi of Denham: Midwives are asked to signpost Healthy Start to all clients and my department encourages NHS organisations to order posters and leaflets. Information is included in the pregnancy book, given by midwives to all first-time pregnant women, equivalent publications in the other UK countries, and government leaflets about benefits and tax credits. Application leaflets can be picked up locally, ordered by telephone or downloaded from the internet.

Questions for Written Answer: Guidance to Civil Servants

Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What is the most recent guidance that has been issued to civil servants by the Department for Communities and Local Government on the drafting of Answers to Questions for Written Answer in the House of Lords.

Baroness Andrews: Cabinet Office guidance for civil servants on drafting Answers to Parliamentary Questions was published in February 2005. A copy of the guidance is in the Library of the House. It can also be found on the Cabinet Office website at www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/propriety_and_ethics/civil_service/pq_guidance.aspx.
	In addition, the Department for Communities and Local Government provides general guidance to staff on the handling of all Parliamentary Questions on its intranet.

Questions for Written Answer: Late Answers

Lord Tebbit: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by Lord West of Spithead on 23 April (WA 306—7), whether any of the information requested in the Written Question tabled on 24 January by Baroness Valentine was not available (a) at that time, and (b) by 7 February.

Lord West of Spithead: The information requested in the Written Question tabled on 24 January, pertaining to the number of immigration officers employed at Heathrow Airport on 1 January 2006 and 16 October 2007, was available on 24 January 2008 and 7 February 2008 but was compiled from locally held management information and did not constitute part of national statistics.
	This information is held on a complex database and significant work was required to extract and validate the data before the figures could be placed in the public domain.